PUBLIC SIGNS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC (BASED ON RUSSIAN, GERMAN AND FRENCH LANGUAGES)

Abstract

The article represents a comparative analysis of Russian, German and French public signs that regulate safety precautions during the coronavirus pandemic, of their both linguistic and cultural specifics. The study is based on 500 authentic public signs, collected by the continuous sampling method in Izhevsk (Russia), Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand (France), and Leipzig (Germany) in the course of 2020. As a result, similarities and differences have been revealed concerning impact strategies as well as linguistic means whereby these strategies are realized. Most similarities are revealed in the informative public signs; however, the corresponding German and French signs are marked by detailed description of safety precautions, and Russian signs often refer to decrees of the local authorities. One of the main differences is that some Russian signs contain explicit prohibitions, whereas there are no such examples among the German and French signs under study. The difference in frequency of impact strategies that influence the recipients’ emotions also takes place: polite addresses and requests, appeals to take care of one’s health, and thanks for following the instructions. The specifics of compared cultures are reflected in the texts under study: the Russian culture is relationship-oriented, emotional, and values external control, whereas both German and French cultures are information-oriented, rational, and value internal control.